Feet That Walk Through Ash
by breakthecutie
Summary: Descended from her Clan's founders and perhaps kin to its ruin, Ashfoot's story is finally told.
1. Betrayal

Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors.

**Chapter 1**

Betrayal

_or_

Onekit Is A Really Unfortunate Name, But Not As Bad As Onepaw

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"I can't believe Onekit broke his promise!"

"You're _lucky_ Onekit broke that promise," Barkface informed his youngest patient gravely. "No cat would have known you were gone if he hadn't told Tallstar. It's bad enough Tornear injured himself driving off that fox."

Ashkit flinched, but held her tongue. She wanted to snip at the medicine cat and point out that Onekit not telling anyone had been the entire _point_, but it would do no good now. Besides, the young warrior wouldn't be injured if not for scenting her and the fox while on patrol. The aforementioned gray tabby was nearby having his wound inspected and flicked his good ear. "I hope this doesn't end up with your apprenticeship being stalled; the sooner you have a mentor, the better."

Barkface applied a poultice to the shallow wound on Tornear's side. It looked painful, but not serious. Kept clean and treated properly, it would heal. Hawkheart would have been proud to see his apprentice faring so well so soon after his death, the medicine cat knew. His mentor had always been angry with their ancestors for making him a medicine cat, but Hawkheart had always done his best to protect his Clan, whether his weapons be claws or herbs.

Instructing the warrior to come back should the pain worsen or the wound get infected, the medicine cat watched Tornear leave. "Do you feel any pain?" He asked Ashkit.

"No; those other two cats stopped the fox from hurting me."

Barkface had been moving to put away his supplies, but stopped. "Other cats?"

Ashkit nodded. "I didn't recognize them, but they stopped the fox in time for Tornear to attack. Didn't he tell you?" Barkface's expression answered the kit; Tornear told their leader he had been first on the scene. "A tom and a she-cat were there. They smelled familiar, but I didn't recognize them."

An image took over Barkface's vision. Several gorse flowers filled the moor, pulled into a calm dance as the wind flew around them. Two cats walked through the petals: a thin, brown she-cat with fierce eyes and gray tabby tom that was just as lean. Both had long, runner's legs and muscles beneath their pelts that spoke of a hard life. Barkface recognized that they were StarClan cats, but he had never seen them before.

As the scene faded, Barkface turned towards Ashkit. "Those were your warrior ancestors, Ashkit. Windstar and her mate, Gorsestar, saved you today." Her clear, bright eyes lit up with the excitement of having seen real cats from StarClan, but the brown tom knew she couldn't grasp the significance of it. He was having some trouble figuring it out himself.

"Ashkit?" Outside the den came the distressed call from Duststripe. She had been on a border patrol when the incident had occurred, and some cat had obviously told her what happened. The she-kit dashed from the medicine cat den, running for her mother. Barkface followed. "What were you thinking?" The light brown tabby she-cat asked, checking her daughter over.

"She's fine, Duststripe. She doesn't even have the sense to be in shock." The queen looked up at Barkface, her eyes bright with gratitude.

"Thank you," she told him. Seeing Deadfoot approach, Duststripe turned to face the deputy. "I left her in the nursery," the she-cat explained. "I had no idea what she was thinking." The dark-furred deputy barely acknowledged his Clanmate; his eyes stayed on the kit.

Ashkit looked as though she was about to say something, but a brown ball of fur ran over and nudged her hard. "She's very, very sorry, Deadfoot!" Onekit promised, standing at his friend's defense. The deputy looked between the two of them.

"Today, WindClan almost lost you, Ashkit. Can you imagine how Onekit would have felt, knowing that he didn't tell anyone? How your mother, who left you while she went hunting, would have mourned? And Tornear, who could have been badly wounded or killed? You acted like a rogue today, Ashkit; you thought only of yourself, and not of the Clan."

The gray she-kit protested. "I _was_ thinking of the Clan! I wanted to go out and see our territory and be useful!" Instead of responding, Deadfoot gave Duststripe a nod to excuse her from hunting to take care of her kit, and turned back towards Tallstar's den to inform his leader of what has happened.

The queen purred. She hated being stuck in the nursery and, though it was unusual for a queen to leave before her kits were apprenticed, it was not unheard of. But she loved her daughter as much as any other queen ever loved their kit. Bending down, she gave the shaking ball of gray fur a lick between the ears. "Let's get you both back in the nursery," she told Onekit and Ashkit. "Shrewtail will want to hear about this."

As she led them towards the sheltered den for queen and kits, Duststripe was halted by a call from the Tallrock. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather for a Clan meeting!" Tallstar stood proud, Deadfoot nearby. The kits grimaced in apprehension, but the older cats seemed to have an idea what Tallstar wanted to say and exchanged knowing looks. The young WindClanners were further surprised when Shrewtail appeared from the nursery and motioned them towards the meeting.

"WindClan, I'm sure news has reached your ears that the kits in our nursery believe they're ready to take on foxes. Well, today we'll give them the chance to prove themselves. Ashkit, Onekit!" The two looked at each other eagerly before Onekit gave his chest fur a quick lick and approached Tallstar. Ashkit forced down her excitement and followed at a walk.

"From this day forward, until these young cats are granted warriors names, they will be known as Ashpaw and Onepaw! Onepaw, you should not have promised to keep secrets from the Clan, but you showed great judgment in telling Shrewtail when you worried for your denmate's safety. Tornear, you were exceptionally mentored, if I recall," many cats gave amused purrs at this, "and I know you will shape Onepaw into an excellent warrior."

Onepaw nervously approached Tornear. The tabby's scars made him an intimidating figure, but he lowered his head to gently touch noses with his first apprentice and gave a nod of encouragement.

"Ashpaw, you did wrong today, but you had WindClan at heart somewhere in you. Deadfoot has two keen eyes to watch you, and has proven himself time and again. You will train under him to be a warrior WindClan is proud of." Ashpaw looked towards the maimed deputy, suddenly intimidated. But she forced herself forward to touch her nose to his. "But what you did still needs punishment. You will spend the first two days of your apprenticeship in the camp."

"Wha-?" She stopped when she heard Deadfoot growl at her to accept her punishment. Onepaw gave her a sympathetic look, but still turned to follow Tornear out of camp as the meeting ended.

As the cats dispersed, Barkface looked towards the sky. StarClan cats did not show themselves to most cats, much less interfere in life-or-death situations. But they gave Ashpaw no messages, nor had they said anything to him. Shaking his head, Barkface recalled the tansy he needed to collect and headed out of camp.


	2. Invitation

Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors.

A/N: I know there are some OCs (there will be less as the story goes on; the ones that exist now are mostly to fill out the ranks) so I've added a link to a forum as my homepage on my profile. There, I have chapter-by-chapter allegiances for this story if anyone needs them.

**Chapter 2  
**

Invitation

_or_

Is Invading WindClan's Camp A Requirement? Get On It, RiverClan!

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"Rip the tails off of some nasty rogues!" Ashpaw encouraged her denmate; the duty of the dawn patrol had fallen on Onepaw, Tornear, Tallstar, and Morningpaw today. The cats milled around as they waited for Tallstar to finish talking to Deadfoot, and the tom apprentice wanted to say good-bye to his friend quickly.

"It's only two days!" Onepaw encouraged his punished denmate. "Then you and I will patrol the borders side-by-side, right?" His warm eyes shone sincerely. "Besides, cleaning out the elder's den is something every apprentice has to do sometime. You're…you're just getting it out of the way quicker!"

Ashpaw purred and touched her nose to his ear. "Thanks, Onepaw. I'll be waiting for you, so don't be a coward like you usually are and bring me back a good story!" Claws sheathed, he struck out his paw at the she-cat playfully. She fell into a clumsy crouch and seemed ready to spring when a cat snuck up from behind Ashpaw and sent her sprawling. Looking back, she saw Duststripe.

"Tallstar's waiting for you, Onepaw." The tabby tom looked horrified to have kept the leader waiting and ran to join his first patrol. Morningpaw, Tallstar's apprentice who was nearly ready to be a warrior, waited for him kindly. Duststripe shook her head and looked down at her daughter. "Keep alert!" She warned Ashpaw, who was lifting herself up. "If you fall in battle, you'll be sorry." The new apprentice righted herself. Mudclaw was calling for Duststripe, but she paused to give her daughter a lick first. "Behave yourself for all our sakes," she suggested before catching up with her Clanmate and slipping out of the camp.

The new apprentice pouted. "I would, if behaving was any fun."

"More fun than being stuck in camp, I'd guess." Deadfoot came to stand beside his apprentice. "Mudclaw and Duststripe are going to gather some moss. When they come back, you can change the elder's bedding. While you wait, I know Redscar's hungry."

As the deputy turned to limp away, Ashpaw called to him. "Deadfoot? Are you happy that you're my mentor?"

The warrior glanced back, his whiskers belying some amusement hidden behind his serious expression. "We'll see."

Shaking her head, Ashpaw loped over to the fresh-kill pile and grabbed up a couple voles, trotting to the elder's den. Like the nursery, it was one of the few fortified places in the WindClan camp. Redscar laid near the inside of the entrance, his marked face not showing the same peace as his calm body language. Dawnstripe was curled up farther back, but lifted her head at the smell of food. "Morningpaw?" The she-cat blinked before correcting herself. "No, it's our new apprentice!"

"Deadfoot wants me to change your bedding. It's a good day to get some sun while I do it." The last thing Ashpaw wanted was to have to work around the elders, and her grumpiness wasn't helping her enthusiasm. Redscar nodded and stood, grabbing a vole a heading outside. Dawnstripe followed, leaving Ashpaw to bundle together the dirty moss and roll it outside.

"I wonder if Tallstar will warn Bluestar about the fox. Tornear said he chased it into ThunderClan territory," Dawnstripe was saying.

"I'm sure he will. ThunderClan has become more of an ally since Pinestar left and Heatherstar passed on. Tallstar always told her it wasn't right to blame Sunstar or Bluestar for what their leader did."

The clear-eyed apprentice piped up curiously. "What did Pinestar do?" Ashpaw had heard of the old ThunderClan leader once or twice, but never in much detail.

Dawnstripe answered, "Pinestar and ThunderClan invaded our camp, long before you were born. They injured many cats. One tried to destroy our herbs, but Hawkheart stopped her. It was Bluestar's mother, if my memory is right. Still, Heatherstar never forgave ThunderClan. For good reason, too; the camp has never seemed safe to me since then."

"Of course, Pinestar gave up his Clan to be a kittypet, too," Redscar reminded his denmate. "He's an exception to the rule; most leaders would never do such a thing." Dawnstripe looked uncertain, but didn't argue. Ashpaw wondered what it must have been like, to have enemy warriors in the camp. What had Pinestar been thinking, attacking like that?

But the sight of Duststripe and Mudclaw returning with the clean moss gave her something new to focus on. She could talk to Onepaw about it when he returned; he was always interested in strategy and such and would have a more knowledge perspective. Ashpaw took the bedding and began to process of cleaning out the den as she listened to the two elders speak of their younger days. Dawnstripe fondly recalled Tallstar's first battle (not for the first time in recent history, judging by Redscar's bored look) before the tom countered with a tale about Hawkheart.

But nothing really caught the she-cat's attention until the patrol returned. Tallstar looked visibly on-edge and Onepaw oozed fear-scent. Tornear and Morningpaw seemed agitated and had clearly been riled up by something. The leader stopped to talk with Deadfoot for a moment and, after saying something that left the deputy's eye's gleaming angrily, called a meeting.

"ShadowClan scent has been found on our border!" Tallstar reported. "They only came in a few tail-lengths, but it was surely a deliberate crossing; their path meanders in our territory too long for it to be an apprentice's mistake!"

"Are we going to attack?" Shrewtail demanded, standing protectively near Onepaw.

Tallstar's look was still angry, but his voice was kinder. "If I did, I would not put the lives of untrained apprentices at risk; don't be so rash as to accuse me of such a thing. But no, I will not fight. I will address this at the Gathering tonight and see what Raggedstar says to defend himself. Deadfoot, do you agree?"

The deputy paused for a second, as though he wanted to say he'd prefer a fight. "Of course I do. It's still Greenleaf; if they were after prey, we have no reason to worry so much that we need to attack the day of a Gathering."

"Or Raggedstar will use that time to launch an attack," Mudclaw put in. "He has become less sensible since Brokentail became his deputy. Remember the way he spoke to Crookedstar at the last gathering?"

Duststripe nodded. "We should at least find a patrol and teach it a lesson. A few shredded ShadowClan tails will remind them to stay off our territory!" Mudclaw nodded and yowled approval while Morningpaw seemed keen to prove herself to her mentor.

Barkface stepped up. "The warrior code states that the truce only lasts as long as the full moon, but I cannot imagine it to be StarClan's will that the Clans should fight needlessly so soon to a Gathering." Mudclaw looked carefully at the medicine cat before he flattened his fur and relaxed. Duststripe was visibly displeased to lose his support, but it was already decided. Tallstar sensed this too and left the Tallrock, calling for Deadfoot to meet with him in his den.

Onepaw wandered over to his best friend. "I talked to Tornear on the patrol," he said, preempting Ashpaw's excited ranting, "And Tallstar doesn't plan to take us to the Gathering. You're still in trouble, after all." Ashpaw's tail fell to the ground for a moment, but the disappointment abated quickly.

"Who cares if Tallstar takes us or not?" The brown apprentice looked startled before Ashpaw elaborated. "We'll take ourselves."


End file.
